Nighean Donn a' Chùil Rèidh was Mary MacDonald from West Lake Ainslie. One of her ancestors, Angus MacDonald, known in Gaelic as Aonghas Mòr an Tulaich, commanded the victorious forces of the MacDonalds of Keppoch in a battle against the MacIntoshes in 1688. This was the last battle between Highland clans.

An eleven-verse version also appears in Smeòrach nan Cnoc 's nan Gleann, a collection of Margaree songs published in 1939 in Scotland which includes twenty-nine songs by Malcolm H Gillis.

This song was composed in 1887 by Malcolm H. Gillis (b. 1856), a talented schoolmaster and farmer from South West Margaree who wrote songs in Gaelic and English. He played the fiddle, bagpipes and organ and was also an accomplished dancer. He died in 1929 at the age of 73. His forebears came from Morar in Scotland and his patronymic was Calum Eòghain 'ic Aonghais 'ic Caluim 'ic Dhòmhnaill 'ic Dhonnchaidh.

Although the quality of the recording is imperfect, we include it in the selection because the song is sung by the composer's son, Jimmy Gillis, and because it is one of the most significant Cape Breton Gaelic songs.

Your conversation, my dear,
Is more musical to me
Than the song of the mavis in the dense forest,
Or the soft murmur of the streams
Coming from the mountain sheilings,
In the early morning beside me.

Your nature, my dear,
Is kind, affectionate and without gloom;
Your beauty has surpassed all women;
My spirit would rise with joy
When you would meet me,
And I would welcome the brown-haired maiden of the smooth tresses.

Your eye is more blue
Than the sheen on the dew,
When you look at me, dear, so gently;
There is beauty like the noontide
Which dispels sadness
In your nature, and my wish is to be beside you.

Your face is beautiful and without melancholy,
Without pride and full of modesty,
Your bearing straight, elegant and stately;
You look beautiful in a gown
Of the latest fashion,
Maiden of the most courtly appearance.

Your relationship is very close
To the worthy people
Who fought in battles in countries overseas;
They often won the cause
In favour of the Prince,
And the honour of their country was not lost.

When seen on the slopes
Their movement was very imposing,
And they always had as their emblem
The galley, the lion and the tree,
With the red hand beside them,
The white-bellied salmon, and the green heather of the mountains.

If I had lasting wealth
I would go on a voyage over the ocean
To Europe, my dearest one of good repute;
And in the land of heroes
Noble folk would joyfully
Welcome the brown-haired maiden of the smooth tresses.

Golden rings will well fit
The most beautiful fingers
That often play music in the room;
Your cheek is like the rose,
Your manner is without conceit,
You are the essence of character and virtue.

Your manner is much admired,
Brown-haired maiden of the warm eyes,
Your compexion is like the sun in its beauty,
Like the flower growing
In a glen full of warmth,
Or like Venus high in the sky.

The kindness of your talk
Has confused my mind,
And there is little relief for me under the sun;
There is no healing for my pain
In this world alone,
Brown-haired maiden of the affectionate eyes, except you.